Rugged Bear
Encyclopedia
Rugged Bear is a 1953 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures
. The cartoon follows Humphrey the Bear
as he takes refuge in Donald Duck's
cabin during hunting season
by disguising himself as a bearskin rug. The film was directed by Jack Hannah
and features the voices of Clarence Nash
as Donald, Jimmy MacDonald
as Humphrey, and an uncredited narrator.
Rugged Bear was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 26th Academy Awards
in 1954, but lost to another Disney film, Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom
. This was the eighth of nine nominations received by the Donald Duck film series.
oversleeps through the opening of hunting season
one year. While the other bears flee to the safety of their cave, Humphrey is left outside and is forced to hide in a nearby cabin instead.
Inside the cabin, Humphrey is horrified to learn that it is a hunting lodge, made evident by the many guns and hunting trophies
hanging on the walls. As the bear turns to leave, he sees Donald Duck
coming down the path toward the cabin carrying a rifle. Humphrey desperately looks for a hiding place inside the cabin. At last he notices a large bear skin rug in front of the fireplace. He quickly rolls up the rug, stows it in an empty trunk, and lays out flat on the floor in the rug's place.
Just then, Donald enters and is unaware that his "rug" has been replaced, or that it is a real bear. Humphrey nervously endures several uncomfortable and painful experiences, all the while being careful not to let Donald know that he is a real bear. These include hiccups, a burning ember from the fireplace falling on his fur, going through Donald's clothes washer and dryer, and being mowed with a reel mower among other things.
Off screen Humphrey spends the rest of hunting season in Donald's cabin carrying on his rug masquerade. When hunting season is over, Donald finally leaves and Humphrey breaths a sigh of relief. But just then Humphrey hears a sound from the trunk in the corner. Humphrey learns, much to his chagrin, that the bearskin rug which he had rolled up and stowed earlier was actually another bear who had also masqueraded as a rug. The film ends with the other bear leaving and thanking Humphrey for taking his place.
RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
. The cartoon follows Humphrey the Bear
Humphrey the Bear
Humphrey the Bear is a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney studio in 1950. He first appeared in the Goofy cartoon Hold That Pose, in which Goofy tried to take his picture. After that he appeared in four classic Donald Duck cartoons: Grin and Bear It, Bearly Asleep, Rugged Bear, and Beezy...
as he takes refuge in Donald Duck's
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
cabin during hunting season
Hunting season
A hunting season is the time when it is legal to hunt and kill a particular species.In the United States, each state has primary responsibility and authority over the hunting of wildlife that resides within state boundaries. State wildlife agencies that sell hunting licenses are the best source of...
by disguising himself as a bearskin rug. The film was directed by Jack Hannah
Jack Hannah
Jack Hannah was an animator, writer and director of animated shorts.Hannah was born January 15, 1913, in Nogales, Arizona. He moved to Los Angeles in 1931 to study at the Art Guild Academy. One of his first jobs was designing movie posters for Hollywood theaters...
and features the voices of Clarence Nash
Clarence Nash
Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash was an American voice actor, best known for providing the voice of Donald Duck for the Walt Disney Studios...
as Donald, Jimmy MacDonald
Jimmy MacDonald (sound effects artist)
John James "Jimmy" MacDonald was a Scottish voice actor and the original head of the Disney sound effects department, and the voice of Mickey Mouse from 1946 to 1977.-Career and sound effects:...
as Humphrey, and an uncredited narrator.
Rugged Bear was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 26th Academy Awards
26th Academy Awards
The 26th Academy Awards honored the best in films of 1953.The second national telecast of the Awards show draws an estimated 43,000,000 viewers. Shirley Booth, appearing in a play in Philadelphia, presents the Best Actor award through a live broadcast cut-in, and privately receives the winner's...
in 1954, but lost to another Disney film, Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom
Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom
Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom is an educational Adventures in Music animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions, and originally released to theaters by Buena Vista Distribution on November 10, 1953...
. This was the eighth of nine nominations received by the Donald Duck film series.
Plot
Humphrey the BearHumphrey the Bear
Humphrey the Bear is a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney studio in 1950. He first appeared in the Goofy cartoon Hold That Pose, in which Goofy tried to take his picture. After that he appeared in four classic Donald Duck cartoons: Grin and Bear It, Bearly Asleep, Rugged Bear, and Beezy...
oversleeps through the opening of hunting season
Hunting season
A hunting season is the time when it is legal to hunt and kill a particular species.In the United States, each state has primary responsibility and authority over the hunting of wildlife that resides within state boundaries. State wildlife agencies that sell hunting licenses are the best source of...
one year. While the other bears flee to the safety of their cave, Humphrey is left outside and is forced to hide in a nearby cabin instead.
Inside the cabin, Humphrey is horrified to learn that it is a hunting lodge, made evident by the many guns and hunting trophies
Trophy hunting
Trophy hunting is the selective hunting of wild game animals. Although parts of the slain animal may be kept as a hunting trophy or memorial , the carcass itself is sometimes used as food....
hanging on the walls. As the bear turns to leave, he sees Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
coming down the path toward the cabin carrying a rifle. Humphrey desperately looks for a hiding place inside the cabin. At last he notices a large bear skin rug in front of the fireplace. He quickly rolls up the rug, stows it in an empty trunk, and lays out flat on the floor in the rug's place.
Just then, Donald enters and is unaware that his "rug" has been replaced, or that it is a real bear. Humphrey nervously endures several uncomfortable and painful experiences, all the while being careful not to let Donald know that he is a real bear. These include hiccups, a burning ember from the fireplace falling on his fur, going through Donald's clothes washer and dryer, and being mowed with a reel mower among other things.
Off screen Humphrey spends the rest of hunting season in Donald's cabin carrying on his rug masquerade. When hunting season is over, Donald finally leaves and Humphrey breaths a sigh of relief. But just then Humphrey hears a sound from the trunk in the corner. Humphrey learns, much to his chagrin, that the bearskin rug which he had rolled up and stowed earlier was actually another bear who had also masqueraded as a rug. The film ends with the other bear leaving and thanking Humphrey for taking his place.
Censorship
Some edited versions of Rugged Bear have been released with omit the scene in which Donald points his rifle directly at Humphrey, as well as the scene where Donald presses the buttons on the clothes washer.Releases
- 1953 – original theatrical release
- 1959 – Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, episode #5.18 "Duck Flies Coop" (TV)
- 1961 – Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, episode #8.5 "The Hunting Instinct" (TV)
- 1968 – Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, episode #14.22 "The Ranger of Brownstone" (TV)
- 1984 – "Cartoon Classics: Donald Duck's First 50 YearsWalt Disney Cartoon ClassicsWalt Disney Cartoon Classics was a series of cartoon compilations from Disney. It was their first attempt to put cartoons on home video. The first 14 volumes, from 1983–1986, came with 6 or 7 cartoons and ran from 30–60 minutes...
" (VHS) - 1997 – Ink & Paint Club, episode #1.30 "'50s Donald" (TV)
- 2008 – "The Chronological Donald, Volume Four" (DVD)